faithful · Defender · Leather
Shepherd
The keeper of the flock. Defender in leather.
“The hireling runs when he sees the wolf coming. The shepherd does not.”
The calling
The first man ever to keep sheep was also the first man ever to be murdered, and the shepherds of the city of cedar have never forgotten it. They remember that he brought the best of his flock as an offering, and that it was accepted. They remember that he was gentle, and that gentleness did not save him. And so the shepherds of the faithful took up the staff and the sling, and they swore that no lamb of theirs would ever again be left alone in a field.
A Shepherd is not built like a Sentry. They wear leather, not plate. They are lean from long days on the hillsides and quick from long nights watching the dark at the edge of the firelight. They have killed wolves with a staff, and lions with their bare hands, and a few of the old ones have killed things that were not wolves or lions at all. Their crook is a weapon and a tool at once: it hooks an enemy off a fallen friend, or hooks the friend out of danger and draws them to the Shepherd's side.
A Shepherd's strength is watchfulness. They see the ambush before it springs. They know which lamb is weakest, and they stand closest to that one. And every enemy that lays a hand on the flock soon finds the Shepherd in its face.
In battle
You do not soak up blows. You make them miss. You weave, sidestep and turn away strikes that would crush a slower defender, while your staff cracks against the enemy and your sling stone breaks its spellcasting from across the field. Allies near you take less harm simply because you are near, and anything that strikes them turns its anger on you.
When a friend falls, you hook them to your side. When a giant comes, you remember that giants fall to shepherds. And when the worst blow of the fight is about to land on someone you love, you step in front of it.
Strengths
- Guards the whole flock at once. Allies near you take less damage, and their attackers turn on you.
- Avoidance over armor. A Shepherd sidesteps and dodges blows that other defenders must absorb.
- Crook and sling. Pull enemies from afar, interrupt their casts, and drag foes off your friends or friends out of harm.
- Slayer of beasts and giants, with a mighty blow that ends weaker foes outright.
- Lays down his life: for a time, the first blow that would kill a companion falls on you instead.
Weaknesses
- Less steady than plate. When the dodges stop coming, the hits land hard, and healers must watch for sudden falls.
- Bound to the staff. The crook needs a staff in hand, and the staff needs both hands, so no shield.
- Asks for attention. A Shepherd is always moving, always watching who is hurt. It rewards a player who reads the whole fight.
Gifts of the calling
- Thy Rod and Thy Stafffrom the first day
- allies near you take less damage, and every foe that strikes them draws closer to you.
- Shepherd's Crook
- hook one enemy and drag it toward you, seizing its attention.
- Sling Stone
- a stone from the sling that strikes from range and breaks the enemy's casting.
- Gather the Lambs
- hook a threatened ally and draw them to your side, taking half of the next blow meant for them.
- Cry of the Watch
- a watchman's cry that interrupts every enemy in the fight and turns them toward you.
- Beside Still Waters
- your whole company strikes faster while you lead them.
- Out of the Lion's Mouth
- snatch an enemy's attention away from a friend, as a shepherd snatches a lamb from the lion.
- Smite and Slay
- a mighty blow that slays weaker foes outright and deals massive damage to stronger ones.
- Lays Down His Life
- for half a minute, the first killing blow against any companion falls on you, and leaves you at the edge of death rather than dead.
The attributes you need
| Attribute | What it does |
|---|---|
| StrengthMain | Every staff blow and stone lands harder, and your well of power runs deeper. |
| Agility | Together with your Defense skill, the dodges that keep a Shepherd alive. |
| Stamina | More health, for the moments when the dodges run out. |
Choose the Shepherd if
You love speed more than iron, and people more than glory. You want to be the one who notices, the one who moves first, the one who stands between the small and the terrible. The Shepherd's road is humble, and its staff is plain, and every giant in the world has learned to fear it.
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